HOUSTON — The future of AM radio and its accessibility across all vehicles manufactured and sold in the U.S. proved to be an incendiary topic at the closing session of the 2025 Hispanic Radio Conference, held on June 12.
Moderated by Radio Ink Online Editor Cameron Coats, “The Future on the Dash: AM Battle Reboot” put a sharp, emotional focus on what many consider one of the most urgent issues facing radio: keeping the AM band in the nation’s vehicles.
Panelists included NAB Vice President of External Affairs Liliana Rañón, Greeley Broadcasting President Lindsay Salazar, and Latino Media Network Regional General Manager Mike Sena.
Rañón opened the session with an update on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, reintroduced on Capitol Hill in February 2025. The legislation has moved swiftly, passing the Senate Commerce Committee with just one opposing vote and gaining 214 House co-sponsors – just four shy of passage. The bill now awaits action from the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “We’re close,” said Rañón, “but your voices still matter. Lawmakers need to hear from you directly.”
For Salazar, who operates two AM stations in rural northern Colorado, the threat of AM’s removal from new vehicles isn’t theoretical, it’s immediate. “Our listeners are agricultural workers, oil field workers – people who live and work in places where cell service just doesn’t reach. When wildfires or floods happen, AM is how they find out what’s going on,” she said. Though her stations have simulcasted on FM for over 15 years, her audience continues to identify them by their AM dial positions. “It’s the only signal they can get in the most rural areas,” Salazar added.
Sena underscored AM’s vital role in urban Hispanic communities as well. In Miami and Chicago, Latino Media Network’s AM stations serve as trusted sources not only for emergency alerts, two of LMN’s Miami AMs are part of the official Emergency Alert System, but also for everyday needs like school closures, healthcare resources, and election information. “We’re literally the voice that tells people when to evacuate and where to find safety,” he said. “And we’re also where they turn to understand how to navigate life in a new country.”
The conversation turned emotional as panelists shared stories that brought AM’s importance into sharp relief. Salazar recalled a call from a mother in a remote area struggling to find medical help for her child. The station’s community network helped connect her with a doctor. “Without our signal, that help wouldn’t have come.”
Ownership was another key concern. Both Greeley Broadcasting and Latino Media Network are Hispanic- and women-led, and panelists warned that eliminating AM would severely restrict access to broadcast ownership for underrepresented groups. “AM is still the only entry point many of us can afford,” Salazar said. “Take it away, and you cut off the next generation.”
The panel also addressed the bill’s 10-year sunset clause, a concession made to win broader Congressional support. Coats asked how the industry should use that time. “That window gives us a responsibility,” said Sena. “Not just to inform lawmakers, but to win back our audience. We need to get loud and prove our value.”
Rañón urged stations to take action by airing the NAB’s pro-AM radio PSAs to inform listeners of the impending danger, available at DependOnAM.com, and by working with local emergency agencies to reinforce AM’s role in public safety. “We’ve already had over 800,000 messages sent to Congress through this campaign,” she said. “It’s working. But we have to keep going.” Radio Ink and RBR+TVBR President and Publisher Deborah Parenti echoed that urgency, taking the stage for a special close. “If AM loses its place on the dash, FM won’t be far behind,” she said. “And when 50% of your audience is in the car, that’s a hit we can’t afford.”
The discussion followed pointed comments earlier in the day during the legal update panel. Colorado Broadcasters Association President Justin Sasso called out Consumer Technology Association CEO Gary Shapiro, who has publicly opposed the AM radio mandate while admitting to relying on AM during California wildfires. “This is like the butcher telling the cow, ‘You’re going to be just fine,’” said Sasso. “Our people are driving third-generation vehicles and rely on AM for emergency information. These policy decisions affect real lives.”
